In Conversation

An award-winning lyricist and writer for film, TV, and musical theatre, Lynn Ahrens has collaborated with composer Stephen Flaherty on a slew of popular musicals, including Anastasia for both film and stage, Ragtime, Once on this Island, Seussical, A Man of No Importance, and many others. She’s been nominated for two Academy Awards, two Golden Globes and won the Tony for Best Original Score for Ragtime. 
In this wide-ranging conversation, Lynn reflects on the remarkable journey that took her from a secretary with a guitar to one of musical theatre’s most celebrated lyricists. She speaks candidly about the role of luck alongside persistence, from her breakthrough writing for Schoolhouse Rock! to the formative partnership with Stephen Flaherty that began with a chance call across a New York street. Along the way, she shares insights into craft, from the challenge of writing opening numbers to the necessity of constant rewriting, as well as formative encounters with legends like Stephen Sondheim, Comden and Green, and Sheldon Harnick. 
The conversation also explores the evolution of Anastasia from animated film to stage musical, shaped by a desire to deepen its emotional and historical resonance, and the ongoing life of works like Ragtime, whose themes continue to echo powerfully in today’s world. Lynn speaks warmly about mentoring the next generation of writers, the realities of collaboration, and the emotional highs and lows of developing new work.
Anastasia, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, is playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre, currently booking until July 18, before heading to Adelaide and then Brisbane.

One of Australia’s pre-eminent actresses, Pamela Rabe has graced our stages and screens for over four decades. Her list of credits is vast, having appeared in seminal plays, from Private Lives and The Glass Menagerie, to God of Carnage and August: Osage County. She’s also no stranger to the screen, most notably for her portrayal of Joan Fergusson in Wentworth. She’s received countless nominations for Green Room, Helpmann, and AACTA awards, scoring wins for many including her roles in The Well, The Wizard of Oz, and the aforementioned Wentworth. 
Pamela traces her remarkable journey from a childhood in Canada to a distinguished career in Australia across stage and screen. She reflects on her early love of radio and storytelling, the formative experiences that led her into acting, and the unexpected path that brought her to Australia, where appearing different became an asset rather than a limitation. She gives thoughtful reflections on the nature of performance, as well as her experience stepping into the iconic role of Joan Ferguson in Wentworth. 
In the 2023 Queen’s Birthday Honours, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the performing arts as a performer and director. 
Pamela Rabe stars in a gripping new theatrical adaptation of Olga Tokarczuk’s cult novel Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead for Belvoir Street Theatre until May 10, followed by the leading role of Sister Aloysius in John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt for the Sydney Theatre Company from June 30.

A conductor with an impressive career that now spans 45 years, Sir Donald Runnicles has had enduring relationships in chief artistic leadership positions at many organisations around the world – Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Grand Teton Music Festival amongst many others, with his newest position as Chief Conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic. He’s quite the Wagnerian and is celebrated for his interpretations of Romantic and post-Romantic symphonic and opera repertoire.
In this conversation, Donald traces his path from a musical upbringing in Edinburgh immersed in church music and choral singing to an international career defined by long-standing artistic relationships and a deep affinity for German repertoire, particularly Wagner. He reflects on the formative experience of learning his craft in the opera houses of Germany, the importance of communication as a conductor through gesture rather than words, and how his understanding of music continues to evolve over time. He also gives insights into his work and relationship with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as its Chief Guest Conductor.
Sir Donald Runnicles conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony and Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto no 1 from 15-18 April.

A composer who has been capturing our imaginations for over 40 years, Alan Menken is best known for his stage and screen compositions for a slew of Walt Disney films and subsequent stage musicals. He was one of the creative powerhouses behind what has become known as the Disney Renaissance, composing for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin amongst many other titles. And that was all in addition to his non-Disney shows, which include the classic Little Shop of Horrors and the stage version Sister Act. He’s received an extraordinary number of awards – 8 Academy Awards, a Tony, 11 Grammies, 7 Golden Globes and a Daytime Emmy. He’s collaborated with some of the most well-known lyricists in musicals – including Howard Ashman, Stephen Schwartz, Tim Rice, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. 
In this conversation, Alan traces his journey from a musically curious child more interested in improvising than practising, to one of the most decorated composers in entertainment history. He offers candid insights into his collaborations with lyricists such as Howard Ashman, the creative alchemy behind iconic works like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin, and the constant process of rewriting, refining, and often discarding songs in pursuit of the finished product. Along the way, he speaks with honesty and humour about resilience, creative instinct, and the importance of not becoming too precious about your own work.
A Whole New World of Alan Menken, comes to Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on Wednesday May 6, and the Sydney Event Centre on Friday May 8.

A fiercely original voice in Australian theatre, Sheridan Harbridge is an artist who moves fluidly between acting, writing and directing, and who thrives on the adrenalin of making new work. In this wide-ranging conversation, she speaks about her latest projects, including co-writing the book for the new Australian musical My Brilliant Career, based on the Miles Franklin novel, returning to the stage in Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie, and bringing the electrifying life of Chrissy Amphlett to audiences in Amplified. At the centre is her deep commitment to telling stories that feel urgent, female-driven, and theatrically daring and that connect with audiences.
Sheridan also reflects on the path that led her here, from a childhood in country Victoria, through her time at NIDA, to the lessons learned from a career built largely on original material. She speaks openly about the tolls and challenges that sit behind a good performance, and the responsibility of carrying stories that resonate far beyond the stage. Throughout, Sheridan is full of candour and wit, revealing a theatre maker driven to make work that leaves a lasting mark.
My Brilliant Career shows at the Rosalyn Packer Theatre until May 3, then heads to the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre until May 17. Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett is on at the Seymour Centre on April 15-25. Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie plays at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from May 20, coming to Sydney’s Rosalyn Packer Theatre from June 3.